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EF (Education First)

Engaged employer

EF take without giving anything in return - Anonymous employee EF (Education First) Employee Review

1.0
8 Jan 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great, fun-loving, enthusiastic people to work with. The best office and school locations. Good social life. If you're young, single and looking to work in another country then you can be exposed to the full depth of your role at EF and stand to gain a lot of great work experience. I'm still very good friends with many people I worked with at EF.

Cons

Salary is literally about half of what you could achieve elsewhere. Middle management, team leaders, etc., are hired without any management experience (usually because they're Swedish) - and it shows. (In over 3 years I never saw anyone promoted from within EF.) Work is chaotic and very stressful. Deadlines are apparently set arbitrarily and without any discussion with the staff who will actually do the work, and highly unreasonable demands are thus placed on the staff who are expected to regularly work 14-hour+ days. The company charges its students a fortune but pays out remarkably little in salary, though they're happy to pay for lots of nights out and expensive office locations - it's all about looking good without rewarding the overworked staff.

Explore other reviews about EF (Education First)

5.0
20 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fun place to work at. Lots of opportunities especially early on in a career.

Cons

Sometimes salary is not as competitive as other places in Boston area.

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EF (Education First) Response
1mo
Well this is what it's all about! Early career opportunities while having fun along the way is a big part of what we hope people experience working at EF, and we are happy to hear this in your reflection. Thank you for sharing your note on compensation as well. We review our compensation packages regularly to make sure they align with our industry standards, and we appreciate your perspective on that.
4.0
2 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You get to choose your tour and recruit the students you want to bring. The paid chaperone ratio is 6:1, so it is very manageable. The tours are great and the local experts are wonderful.

Cons

Company support is variable. There is high turnover and new consultants are very sales motivated and don't always get the nuances of your school or community group. I have had some WONDERFUL concusltants, but they have always been promoted before I get to work with them again.

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